Surfboard-Kelly Patent Tote Bag

$21.00

See The Story of this design in tab, below.

Ideal for carrying groceries, toys, art, music, workout, or beach items, this gusseted cotton canvas tote expands with a roomy square bottom. Available in natural, with PatentWear’s original Surfboard-Kelly design printed on one side.

The Story

John Kelly, a hard core surfer and iconic waterman, gave back as much as he received from his years of surfing, and in so many ways, was far ahead of his time.

In 1937, frustrated with the inability of the big redwood plank boards to cut across a wave, he narrowed the tail with an ax and created the first prototypical big wave gun. This gave the board maneuverability and directional stability, and overcame the “slide ass” problem common with the big wide boards then. The result was a new design called the “Hot Curl,” a development credited as the start of big-wave surfing. In 1947, Kelly was one of the first surfers to ride Makaha, the site in Hawaii on Oahu of some of big-wave surfing’s most influential moments.

Later, Kelly’s hydroplane surfboard, patented in 1963, combined the speed of a longboard and the maneuverability of a shortboard in its slightly raised tail section.

In 1965, John Kelly authored the classic Surf and Sea, which covered nearly every aspect of surfing and was decades ahead of its time in comprehensive perspective. Inventor, activist, humanitarian, artist, and teacher—John Kelly was all of those, but above it all, a surfer.

Care Instructions: Machine wash cold, inside-out, gentle cycle with mild detergent and similar colors. Use non-chlorine bleach, only when necessary. No fabric softeners. Tumble dry low, or hang-dry for longest life. Cool iron inside-out if necessary. Do not dry clean.

If you’re unsure about sizing, the best way to determine a correct size is to grab an existing favorite t-shirt, lay it flat, and then measure it.

To find the bust size, measure from armpit to armpit. To get the length, measure from neck/shoulder corner intersection to bottom of hem (see illustration). Double the garment width to determine the chest/bust circumference measurement, and you’ll find it will generally fit.